Written by ForexBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Charles Schwab vs ActivTrades, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Charles Schwab vs ActivTrades: Charles Schwab (founded 1971) is an online broker that is publicly traded and operates as a bank, while ActivTrades (founded 2001) is privately held and not a bank. According to ForexBrokers.com, Charles Schwab holds a Trust Score of 99/99 (highly trusted) and ActivTrades scores 80/99 (trusted). On the ForexBrokers.com scale, 90–99 is highly trusted, 80–89 trusted, 70–79 average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 not trusted.
Looking at regulation, Charles Schwab holds five Tier-1 licenses and zero Tier-2 licenses. ActivTrades holds two Tier-1 licenses and one Tier-2 license. ForexBrokers.com considers Tier-1 licenses highly trusted and Tier-2 licenses trusted—useful context when comparing regulatory oversight between these two brokers.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1971 | 2001 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No |
| Bank | Yes | No |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
Charles Schwab and ActivTrades both earn 4 out of 5 stars for commissions and fees, but ActivTrades edges ahead in the ForexBrokers.com ranking, coming in at No. 22 out of 36 brokers versus Schwab at No. 24. Schwab does not charge commissions on forex trades, so costs are built into the spread. Its average EUR/USD spread was 1.35 pips in October 2024, which sits on the higher side of the industry average. On the plus side, Schwab has no minimum deposit for its main brokerage accounts, and its thinkorswim platform includes a tool to estimate overnight carry charges.
ActivTrades also uses spread-based pricing, and its average EUR/USD spread was lower at 0.98 pips in May 2024. That said, spreads can change during the trading day, and pricing will depend on the market you trade and the platform you use. ActivTrades offers an Individual Account, plus Professional and Islamic account options, but it does not have a special pricing tier for active or high-volume traders. Overall, its costs are slightly better than average, though not the cheapest in the market.
In simple terms, ActivTrades appears a bit cheaper for forex trading based on average spread data, while Schwab may appeal to traders who want no minimum deposit, U.S.-dollar settlement, and access to international markets through Schwab Global. If low forex spreads are your top priority, ActivTrades has the edge; if you want a larger broker with broader account choices, Schwab may still be worth a look.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.27 | 1.08 |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.27 | 0.92 |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
When it comes to range of investments, Charles Schwab offers a much broader selection than ActivTrades. Schwab provides access to about 40,000 tradeable symbols and 73 forex pairs, compared with ActivTrades’ 1,267 symbols and 49 forex pairs. Both brokers support forex trading as CFDs or spot contracts, and both offer cryptocurrency CFDs, but neither lets clients buy actual cryptocurrency. Charles Schwab also stands out for giving clients access to exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international markets, while ActivTrades only offers exchange-traded securities on international exchanges.
ActivTrades does have one feature Schwab does not: copy trading. Even so, Schwab’s wider product list helped it earn a 5-star rating for Range of Investments and a #5 ranking out of 36 brokers from ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades received 4 stars and ranked #26. For investors looking for the widest choice of stocks, forex pairs, and market access, Charles Schwab is the stronger option overall.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 1267 |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 49 |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes | Yes |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
Charles Schwab and ActivTrades both give traders a choice of paper trading, a proprietary platform, desktop download software for Windows, and a web-based platform you can use in your browser. Both also let you trade directly from a stock chart, which can make it easier to place orders while you are reviewing price moves. In ForexBrokers.com’s Trading Platforms and Tools category, Charles Schwab stands out with a 5-star rating and a #7 ranking out of 36 brokers, while ActivTrades is rated 4 stars and ranked #27.
The key difference is that ActivTrades adds more platform options for active traders, including copy trading, MetaTrader 4 (MT4), and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), while Charles Schwab does not offer those features. If you want a broker with a more traditional in-house setup and strong overall platform quality, Charles Schwab is the stronger pick. If you want access to MT4, MT5, and copy trading alongside paper trading and browser-based tools, ActivTrades may be the better fit.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 374 | 30 |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Charles Schwab and ActivTrades both offer mobile trading apps for iPhone and Android, along with stock and forex price alerts. Each app also lets users draw trendlines on charts and automatically saves those drawings, which is helpful for traders who want to review chart notes later. Both platforms make it easy to trade from a phone, but there are important differences in how much charting and account syncing they provide.
Charles Schwab stands out for mobile trading because its app includes watchlist syncing with the online account and a much larger set of chart studies, with 374 technical indicators compared with ActivTrades’ 30. It is also rated 5 stars for mobile trading apps and ranks #6 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, while ActivTrades is rated 4 stars and ranks #21. For traders who want stronger mobile charting and smoother watchlist syncing, Charles Schwab has the edge.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 30 |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
When it comes to market research, Charles Schwab and ActivTrades both give traders daily market commentary, forex news from major sources like Bloomberg, Reuters, and Dow Jones, plus an economic calendar that tracks key global events. That said, neither broker includes Autochartist, Trading Central, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading tools. The main difference is that ActivTrades adds a sentiment tool showing long and short positions across currency pairs and other instruments, while Charles Schwab does not.
Overall, Charles Schwab comes out ahead for research, earning 5 stars and ranking #5 out of 36 brokers in ForexBrokers.com’s Research category. ActivTrades is still a solid choice, but it trails with 4 stars and a #27 ranking. For traders who want stronger overall research support, Charles Schwab has the edge; for those who value sentiment data, ActivTrades offers an extra feature Schwab does not.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes |
| Autochartist | No | No |
| Trading Central | No | No |
| Client sentiment data | No | Yes |
| TipRanks | No | No |
| Acuity Trading | No | No |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Charles Schwab and ActivTrades both give beginners plenty of ways to learn, including online educational webinars each month plus at least 10 beginner and 10 advanced videos on trading topics. Both also offer forex or CFD education with at least 10 learning pieces focused on those markets, so new traders can find material that helps them build core knowledge step by step.
Where they differ is in overall education quality and standing. Charles Schwab is rated 5 stars for Education and ranks #6 out of 36 brokers at ForexBrokers.com, which points to a stronger learning experience for beginners. ActivTrades is still a solid choice, with a 4-star Education rating and a #30 ranking, but Charles Schwab offers the clearer edge for traders who want more polished educational support.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Charles Schwab is better than ActivTrades. Charles Schwab finished with an overall rank of #6, while ActivTrades finished with an overall rank of #28.
Charles Schwab is a highly trusted financial institution and multi-asset broker catering to U.S.-based and international forex traders. Schwab's award-winning thinkorswim platform offers over 70 tradeable currency pairs alongside impressive tools, research, and education. That said, the broker’s forex offering is still largely limited to what is available on thinkorswim.
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
ActivTrades
|
|---|---|---|
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 |
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Comparing online brokers Charles Schwab and ActivTrades, neither supports purchasing actual delivered cryptocurrency, but both offer cryptocurrency CFD trading.
Comparing Charles Schwab vs ActivTrades for deposits and withdrawals: Charles Schwab supports ACH/SEPA and bank wires but not PayPal or Skrill, while ActivTrades supports Skrill and bank wires but not ACH/SEPA or PayPal; Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either broker.
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Charles Schwab | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Charles Schwab | ActivTrades | |
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| Regulation | Charles Schwab | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Year Founded | 1971 | 2001 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | Yes | No | |
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No | ||
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 | 2 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 | 1 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 | 0 | |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 | 2 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted) | Charles Schwab | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (ASIC Authorised) | No | No | |
| Canada (CIRO Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Hong Kong (SFC Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Japan (FSA Authorised) | No | ||
| Singapore (MAS Authorised) | Yes | No | |
| Switzerland (FINMA Authorised) | No | ||
| United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised) | Yes | Yes | |
| USA (CFTC Authorized) | Yes | No | |
| New Zealand (FMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID). | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted) | Charles Schwab | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya (CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| Israel (ISA Authorised) | No | ||
| South Africa (FSCA Authorised) | No | ||
| UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised) | No | ||
| India (SEBI Authorised) | No | ||
| Jordan (JSC Authorised) | No |
| Investments | Charles Schwab | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 40000 | 1267 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 73 | 49 | |
| U.S. Stocks (Shares) | Yes | No | |
| Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares) | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Underlying) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
| Cost | Charles Schwab | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spread (EUR/USD) - Standard account | 1.27 | 1.08 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.27 | 0.92 | |
| Inactivity Fee | No | Yes | |
| Order execution: Agency | Yes | No | |
| Order execution: Market Maker | No | Yes |
| Funding | Charles Schwab | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | No | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Non-wire bank transfer | Yes | No |
| Trading Platforms | Charles Schwab | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Copy Trading | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | No | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No |
| Trading Tools | Charles Schwab | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 374 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | Charles Schwab | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Price Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist [DELETED] | |||
| Mobile Watchlists - Syncing | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Research - Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Research | Charles Schwab | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary (Articles) | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | No | |
| Trading Central | No | No | |
| TipRanks | No | No | |
| Client sentiment data | No | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Education | Charles Schwab | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Major Forex Pairs | Charles Schwab | ActivTrades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD [DELETED] | |||
| USD/JPY [DELETED] | |||
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF [DELETED] | |||
| USD/CAD [DELETED] | |||
| NZD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| AUD/USD [DELETED] | |||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | ActivTrades Review |
| Overall | Charles Schwab | ActivTrades | |
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| Trust Score | 99 | 80 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Charles Schwab Review | ActivTrades Review |
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